My cousin’s birthday was coming up, and he is obsessed with anything Mickey. Since we were kids, he’s always had a love for theme parks. So much so that he participated in the Disney College Program in 2012 and another in 2014-2015. My family and I have had the pleasure of going to the parks with him. It’s always an unforgettable experience, and we get to focus on the magic.
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Mickey is one of my cousin’s favorite Disney characters, and being that his birthday was during covid, I wanted to surprise him with this cake. I chose the name on the cake to be Moeana because of his username on Instagram. It was perfect; it’s a mix of his name Moe and Moana, the Disney movie.
Below are the supplies I used to create this cake:
Table of Contents
Supplies
Turntable
Cake Leveler or Serrated Knife
Offset Spatula
Cake Board
Piping Bag
Cake
Wilton 3D Sports Ball Pan
Strawberry Jam (cake filling)
Frosting- Click here for my American buttercream tutorial!
Fondant Supplies
White Fondant
Black Fondant (I buy the pre-colored fondant if I can)
Mickey Ear Template (found online)
Non-Stick Mat
Fondant Roller (rolling pin works too)
Exacto Knife
Fondant Smoother
Fondant cutter (pizza cutter does the same thing)
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Four Toothpicks
Water
Paintbrush
Parchment Paper
Here is how I made it:
Step 1: How to form the shape of the cake
I baked a cake in a Wilton 3-D Sports Ball Pan. This round pan will give the shape of the hat.
After I leveled the cake and cut it in half, I piped a dam of frosting around the outside edge of the cake to keep the strawberry filling in place.
I then put the other half of the cake on top and began to crumb coat. (Crumb coating is a thin layer of buttercream that locks in the crumbs.)
Suggested: How to Crumb Coat a Cake
Make sure the crumb coat is smooth because any bumps can show through the fondant.
Place the cake in the fridge to chill until ready to be covered with fondant.
Step 2: Preparing the fondant for the ears
Make the ears a couple of days ahead so they have time to dry and harden.
Knead the black fondant before rolling it out, so it is soft and pliable.
While rolling the fondant, try to apply the same pressure, so the fondant is even.
I then found a template of Mickey’s ears online.
It helped to have a template with a curve at the bottom of the ear since it lined up with the top of the hat perfectly. I used an Exacto knife to cut around the ears.
Next, I took two toothpicks per ear and inserted them in the bottom of the ears about halfway.
I did this, so the ears had stability when I put them on top of the cake.
Place them on parchment paper to dry overnight.
Step 3: Making fondant letters to spell Moeana
For the Disney letters, I found an example online and eyeballed how the letters should look.
I rolled small pieces of white fondant with the tips of my finger to form the letters’ shape.
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Place them on parchment paper to dry. (Smaller fondant pieces tend to dry faster and don’t need as much time to harden.)
Step 4: Rolling out fondant
Before rolling out the fondant, measure the cake on all sides. Measuring the cake will tell you how much fondant you need and how big it needs to be to fit the cake.
Next, apply powdered sugar to the surface your working on so the fondant doesn’t stick to it.
Since the cake is round, roll the fondant to form a circle.
The thickness of the fondant should be about 1/8th of an inch thick or thicker.
Don’t roll the fondant too thin that will cause it to rip.
Don’t roll it too thick that it is heavy on the cake, weighing it down.
Rotating the fondant in between rolling it out is to be sure it isn’t sticking to the surface.
If you notice any air bubbles forming, take a pin or the tip of the Exacto knife, poke a hole and then smooth it out with your finger.
Step 5: Applying water to the cake before placing the fondant
Take the cake out of the fridge and take a paintbrush and brush some water on the cake.
The water will act as a glue to adhere the fondant to the cake.
Step 6: Placing the fondant on the cake
Take the rolled-out fondant and carefully place it on top of the cake.
Next, quickly use the fondant smoother to smooth out the top of the cake. The smoother helps the fondant stick to the cake while working out air bubbles.
Step 7: Working the sides of the cake
I will start by pushing the air bubbles down towards the base of the cake. I pushed the air bubbles down and out with my fingers going around the cake.
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This part may be a little tricky trying to smooth the sides because you have to work the fondant to do what you want it to do but quickly.
Go under the fondant carefully to straighten it out, then smooth it out in a downward motion.
Go around with the fondant smoother to ensure the sides are attached to the cake.
I then went around the cake with the bottom of my hands going with the cake’s shape.
Push the fondant’s edge into the cake a little bit to ensure the base is against the cake.
Step 8: Cutting the fondant
I used a fondant cutter to remove the excess fondant. At first, I don’t go too close to the cake’s edge because I still have more smoothing to do.
I again use my fondant smoother to push the air bubbles down and out.
I then use an Exacto knife to trim the rest of the excess fondant going closer to the cake’s edge.
Step 9: Placing letters and ears on the cake
I placed the ears evenly on both sides of the cake, not too high and not too wide apart.
Next, I took my Disney letters that spelled out “Moeana” and placed them in the center between the ears.
I used some water and a paintbrush to help the letters stick to the cake.
And it’s finished! How cute is this cake? It’s something about the ears that are just so adorable.
I hope you enjoyed this post!
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Source: https://heavenmycake.com/how-to-make-a-mickey-mouse-ears-hat-cake/
